A survey by the Sociological Institute of the Science Academy (AV) showed that young mothers are often forced to rely on self-employment. Mothers with small children found it difficult to find or retain jobs after returning from maternity leave. Despite legal obligations for employers to guarantee mothers’ jobs, women often found that their jobs had disappeared or were dismissed shortly after returning. Researchers reported 30% of women who took two years of maternity leave and nearly all mothers who took longer breaks lost their jobs when they wanted to return to work. Self-employment among young mothers increased by 74% in the last years, while many indicated in the survey they would have preferred some form of direct labour.